31 Days to Clean: Day(s) #19-21

31 Days to Clean Having a Martha House the Mary way

Day 19 – Finding Joy in the Self-Disciplined Life

Mary Challenge: Do a study on words “self-discipline” and “joy” in the bible.

I used to consider myself a disciplined person. USED TO! I really struggle in this area right now. I know the importance of it both for a functional, less-stress life as well as for the Christian life. I really enjoyed the word study! Gonna be working on this one. I am still working on "fighting fatigue" by getting up at a regular time. Not Disciplined...

Martha Challenge: Bathrooms – Clean out and organize your medicine cabinet and closet. Throw away old cosmetics, beauty products, medicine, and junk in general! Update your first-aid kit.

Once again. LOVE organizing! Sadly, I still had a drawer in my dresser full of randomness from our move last year. You hear me...a stuffed full dresser drawer of stuff. My hubby and I had recently "purged" in loo of the book Radical but we were both surprised to find more things that could go.

Our medicines (except night time ones) are kept in the kitchen cabinet so we had already cleaned up, organized, and updated.

Day 20 – Time

Mary Challenge: Take an honest appraisal of your time. Write out how you are using the hours in your day, and keep a log; be specific. This is a good exercise to do, because once you can figure out exactly how you are spending your time, you can then pull the weeds of wastefulness and work towards a more productive and time wise schedule (which we’ll be talking about on Monday).

Plan on logging my day soon. I just haven't had time. Bahahahaha No, seriously though. I know this will be a helpful task. I so want to find those "weeds" that need to be tended to. I have the same 24 hours-a-day these other, much more productive, moms have. Gonna do it...I'll give an update soon.

Martha Challenge: Bathrooms – Wash mirrors and inside of windows. Wash window treatments and walls. Dust ceilings.

Check! The mirrors where a pain because they are those huge plates the full length of the counter tops. Ugg! I am very glad only 3 of the 4 bathrooms have tiny windows and no curtains (although I haven't cleaned the blinds)! As I've said before:

Confession: didn't do it (wash walls/windows that is)...yet. Upstairs time is scares at my house with 3 under 3. I haven't figured out a way to work upstairs while they are not sleeping in their rooms. I did wash window treatments and finally hung the ones in the girls room (rather than the sheets blocking the light). I hate washing/dusting blinds though...any helpful hints?

oh, and I'm 5'2"...ceilings...prolly never happening. Maybe the cobwebs in the corners with a broom ;o)

Day 21 –The Importance of a Plan

Mary Challenge: Take some time to prepare a plan for managing your home.

1. Envision the goal.

2. Formulate a plan.

3. Do the necessary work.

Martha Challenge: Bathrooms – Clean toilet, scrub shower and tub, clean floors.

Gonna take this time to brag on the handsome hubby: I could NOT have done the bathrooms with out his help. He did a little bit of everyting- scrubbed a tub, wiped down counters, ran up and down the stairs entertaining children, helped purge, took out trash, scrubbed some toilets...you get the picture.

I had fallen behind with my 31 days to clean and wanted to knock out all of the bathroom "Martha Challenges" all at once to get back on track and get ahead. Mission complete!

Master Bathroom

DANG! That's a bed full-a-stuff! PURGED!

Kid's/Hall Bathroom

The girls bath toys had gotten a little out of hand and were leaving puddles on the floor so we got a new ($1.oo) baskets to store some in to make rotating them out easier. I can't believe that giant pile of stuff was all in these cabinets and drawers. In each bathroom, we pulled everything out and only put basics back in. I am also trying to retrain myself to fold the towels different from I was trained as a child so they will fit flatter, higher, and more stable in these wide cabinets.

Guest Bathroom

I have always tried to provide essentials that an overnight guest might have forgotten or that would make their stay more comfortable. The baskets in the after picture are old baskets I had in a closet that I spray painted black, along with lots of other beat up ones, so they would all match.